Just bottled my first batch but only yielded 33 bottles in a 5 gallon batch...at least I thought we used 5 gallons. I'm sure I'm pretty screwed based on this fact. Any ideas on how this happened? I didn't leave a ton of beer at the bottom of the fermenter/bottling bucket so I dont know what happened. I primed the bottles with 5 oz of sugar in 2.25 cups of water. Should I be worried about over carbing?
only bottled 33 bottles in 5 gallon batch.
- Thread starter philc
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cooper
Well-Known Member
It should be fine. It'll be a little higher carbed than what the style guidelines call for but I wouldn't worry about any bottle bombs or anything. Most of the time those are signs of infection, or having something WAY out of the norm. Pop one open after two weeks and let us know how it is.
Obliviousbrew
Well-Known Member
Well thats going to be overcarbed depending on your fermentation temperature you sould be around 5 volumes of co2... that´s quite a bit but not a lot. there is a few styles that should be carg at 3 to 4 volumes, expect gushers and if you didn´t use hard bass as# bottles maybe a bottle bomb. A little bit more information about waht you brew and the steps taht you took will be a great help so we can try to see what was wrong
Obliviousbrew
Well-Known Member
I usually use that sugar to prime the double amount of bottles and I am for 2.5 volumes most of the time, those measure double the volume...
thanks for the replies. I bottled a honey porter. FG at 1.018. In the primary for almost 3 weeks. Used a partial boil of 3 gallons. fermented at room temp..68 degrees possibly a little colder in a closet with zero light. There was a ton of krausen after pouring out all the beer from the primary and a thick layer around the top of the fermenter...smelled good but a little bit sweet (slight wine twang) and was very dark in color (looked like a porter) with no haziness or anything. Tasted beery but you could taste the alcohol in it. I feel like maybe when we boiled the 3 gallons, we might've measured incorrectly or a lot evaporated during the boil (although the lid was on the pot so idk how this would've happened.
Obliviousbrew
Well-Known Member
I run it trough a calculator and if they were 3 gallons you should get about 4 volumes of co2 which is ok. A little overcarbed for the style but just fine.
bchurch
Well-Known Member
Did you top off your partial boil with water to reach 5 gallons in your fermenter
Obliviousbrew
Well-Known Member
I was about to ask that. I think that was what it happend or some gnomes are stealing his bear from his fermentor
bchurch
Well-Known Member
Obliviousbrew said:
I hate it when gnomes steal bears from my fermenter.
Not sure of your setup, but way back I posted a thread on the accuracy of the commonly sold Ale Pail buckets. You may want to find a good measuring pitcher/cup/whatever and calibrate yours as I did:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/ale-pail-accuracy-182894/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/ale-pail-accuracy-182894/
1) Did you top off to 5 gallons? 33 bottles is 3.09 gallons... so either you lost 2 full gallons to the blow off you describe and to poor racking, or you didn't top off.
2) 5 oz of corn sugar in 3 gallons is equivelent to 4 volumes of CO2, so you'll have serious overcarbonation. Whether or not those turn into bottle bombs will depend on the integrity of your bottles. Most standard 12 oz bottles can safely hold 3 volumes of CO2 before they explode. However, not all glass is the same. Some may be stronger. Some may be weaker. I would store them in a plastic bin for sure. But then again, I don't like cleaning carpets and ceilings.
3) Don't boil wort with the lid on. You're asking for creamed corn. See: DMS.
4) Why don't you have a calibrated stick for your boil kettle with gallons marks? Or for that matter on your fermenter?
2) 5 oz of corn sugar in 3 gallons is equivelent to 4 volumes of CO2, so you'll have serious overcarbonation. Whether or not those turn into bottle bombs will depend on the integrity of your bottles. Most standard 12 oz bottles can safely hold 3 volumes of CO2 before they explode. However, not all glass is the same. Some may be stronger. Some may be weaker. I would store them in a plastic bin for sure. But then again, I don't like cleaning carpets and ceilings.
3) Don't boil wort with the lid on. You're asking for creamed corn. See: DMS.
4) Why don't you have a calibrated stick for your boil kettle with gallons marks? Or for that matter on your fermenter?
cooper
Well-Known Member
Calibrating your equipment is a must too. All of my kettles have sight glasses that I've marked off in half gallon increments. All my fermentors are marked off at the 4.5, 5, and 5.5 gallon mark just to make sure. Calebrate all the thermometers in ice water too when you get them, I've had some that were five degrees off.
philc said:
About 3 days to one week. Check one at 5 days and if it gushes then gently vent your bottles. If it is okay then you might toss them in the fridge to halt fermentation. Best of luck. I think you might be in for some cleaning though.
Chill out!
The amount of priming sugar corresponds to the amount of carbonation, and the window - or variance - is large depending on style.
Example, four gallons of German Hefe properly carbonated to 4.04 volumes of CO2 require 6.5 oz of priming sugar.
If you added 5 oz you will be fine, just a bit higher carbonated than expected.
People who have bottle bombs most often bottled too early, while there was still active fermentation, with much un-eaten sugars left for the yeast.
Go to this site and fool around with the numbers, and relax...
http://www.tastybrew.com/calculators/priming.html
dstranger99
Well-Known Member
I couldn't see your photo, but the one I have has markings up to 6.5 on the sides, but it's a damn good idea, I'll get a stick and check it manually....
dstranger99
Well-Known Member
It's just that it's no big deal, something obviously went wrong in your water increments on boiling day. It may still be drinkable, if not just say "Screw it" and do another batch.........
From what I understand, losing a gallon to a gallon and a half during a 60 minute boil isn't out of the question, so if you started with 3 gallons for your boil, and added two gallons to the fermentor, you'd end up somewhere in the 3.5-4 gallon range. Which, once you account for what you may have left in the bucket to avoid pouring trub, would probably yield right in that 33 bottle range.
boxofjibboo
Well-Known Member
Not to hijack this thread but I'm wondering about my own experience. I made a pale ale and was only able to get 4 gallons instead of 5.5 out of my fermenting bucket into my bottling bucket and into bottles. But I primed with 5.5 gallons worth of corn sugar. 126 g to be exact. Any thoughts about bottle bombs or will this just be pretty carbonated? I bottled 2 days ago
Obliviousbrew
Well-Known Member
Well you have one gallon more and a few grams less of priming sugar than the op, you should be fine about bottle bombs, depending on the temperature the beer was sitting and how much residual co2 you have you´ll have a fine beer, a slightly over carbed beer or a an overcarbed beer.
It will be fine anyway.
boxofjibboo
Well-Known Member
Obliviousbrew said:
Good deal. Thank you.
